Genesis Part One: Dive
KEEP IT SIMPLE
The first words of the Bible are the most powerful and frustrating words in the whole book. They give you a lesson in faith that will sustain you as you journey through the whole Bible.
G 1:1-2 ‘In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty…’
As you read, slow down and take in the details. Sometimes we read the stories of the Bible so quickly that we miss the gems found within. As you slow down and read this one sentence, you’ll find a power packed statement: ‘In the beginning God...’ There is so much assumed and not answered in this one statement; God was already there in the beginning. It doesn’t go into how God got to be in the beginning, He just was. This statement of fact doesn’t come with any behind-the-scenes details or footnotes, it comes with a statement and a request – to believe!
Sometimes, we prefer to have all the answers before we believe, and some of us don’t believe until we can work out all of the details in our heads. I am a thinker and I love to study, but I have learnt really quickly that statements of fact in the Bible without explanation are exactly that: statements of fact. If He hasn’t given us the detail, then trust the statement and believe. Sometimes in the Bible, God gives us the statement and then asks us to trust Him with the details. If we had all of the details and our quest for knowledge was satisfied, why would we need faith? This calls for surrender and trust; surrender of our need for knowledge and trust in God, that He is sovereign, supreme and has it all under control.
I love reading Genesis as we see the incredible history of our human race and how we ended up where we are today. It is an incredible story of God forming a people, a nation that is consecrated to Himself. As you read Genesis, let’s keep it simple. Look at the characters, fall in love with the stories again. Don’t get caught up in the debates, just love the Word of God as simple and stated fact. An analytical mind can lose its love for the simplicity of truth – don’t let that happen. Fall in love with a holy God that created the heavens and the earth, created a people He called His own, and guided them as a nation.
I love the beginning statement of the Bible, it keeps it simple, ‘In the beginning, God created…’ and it is upon that foundation of God that the Bible is built – we have our strong, consistent, solid foundation in God and upon that, the greatest story ever told is written! Enjoy the journey!
recommended
extra resources
genesis part one
genesis part two